Holi (Fagu Purnima)
होली
Also known as: Fagu Purnima, Festival of Colors
The vibrant festival of colors where people drench each other with colored water and powder, celebrating the arrival of spring.
Location
Nationwide (especially Kathmandu, Terai cities)
Duration
2 days
Month (BS)
Falgun
Month (AD)
March
Highlights
Color fights in Kathmandu Durbar Square and Thamel. Live music and street dancing. Traditional celebrations in Terai towns. Pole erection ceremony the evening before.
Tips for Visitors
Wear old clothes you don't mind ruining — colors WILL stain. Protect your camera/phone in waterproof cases. Oil your skin beforehand to make color removal easier. Be prepared to get wet and colorful. Say 'Happy Holi' and join in!
Holi, known locally as Fagu Purnima, is Nepal's most exuberant festival — a riotous celebration of color marking the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. On Holi day, all rules of social conduct are suspended as people of all ages drench each other with colored water and powder.
The celebrations in Kathmandu's Durbar Square and Thamel are legendary, with locals and tourists forming impromptu dance circles amid clouds of colored powder. Water balloons fly from balconies, and no one — absolutely no one — is spared.
Holi is celebrated on two different days in Nepal: the Terai and lowland communities celebrate on the full moon day, while Kathmandu Valley and hill communities celebrate the next day. The festival commemorates the legend of Holika and Prahlad, celebrating devotion and the destruction of evil.
The Basantapur area of Kathmandu becomes the epicenter, with live music, dancing, and bhang (cannabis) lassi flowing freely.